Peruse what Andy Reid said Monday after returning home following the AFC Divisional Round win at Buffalo.
HEAD COACH ANDY REID
OPENING STATEMENT: “I don’t have much to give you on the injury report, we’ll just see where that goes today – we got back relatively late. I thought from the game standpoint – I mentioned after the game about all the guys sticking together and supporting each other in a hostile – territory I guess you’d say. That was the thing that really stuck out to me right after the game. After watching the tape just the defense picking it up that second half and really putting it down even down to the last drive where they (the Bills) had to kick a field goal, they kept them out of the endzone, I thought that was big to just, ‘Okay, enough is enough. We can’t let them score a touchdown.’ To the offense making some plays, it was great to see MVS (Marquez Valdes-Scantling) get a couple nice catches, I thought (Travis) Kelce had a big night, (Isiah) Pacheco – for all those guys to be able to do that, the offensive line did well. I’d flip that over on the defensive side and I’d tell you the same thing – for things to settle down like they did that starts up front and I thought Chris Jones did a nice job of communicating that to the guys and (Nick) Bolton and Drue (Tranquill) working through their stuff there and making sure everyone was lined up in the right spot and so on. Then the backend – (L’Jarius) Sneed continues to be – like I’ve said I have a hard time believing anybody is doing it better right now than him. He’s done a nice job along with the other guys back there. (Justin) Reid had a couple of really nice plays too. Then special teams – you can’t talk much about Tommy (Townsend) because he didn’t have to do much – he just had the one punt. (Harrison) Butker continues to do a nice job for us, I know the guys have the ultimate trust in him. Then the coverage teams were good. That means the coordinators did a good job with it, the guys that execute believed in what the coordinators were putting out there. I mentioned about (Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spags, second half making a couple of little adjustments there. (Offensive Coordinator Matt) Nagy’s gameplan was so deep by the time we got to the fourth quarter we still have a lot of just good stuff left over. (Special Teams Coordinator) Dave’s (Toub) group did a nice job even – on the fake punt we had 10 guys out there but made it work. Anyways, with that time’s yours.”
Q: How impressed have you been with Chamarri Conner?
REID: “It’s a great question. Chamarri (Conner) did a heck of a job, he’s been working in on nickel and dime situations but to come in and have that extended time in there and make the plays he did – with the exception of just trying to pick the ball to scoop and score, he probably should have just fallen on it when it’s all said and done. He sure did a nice job in there.”
Q: How impressed have you been with the personnel department being able to find impact players in late rounds of the draft?
REID: “I’m a big (General Manager) Brett Veach fan. He’s done a great job. I told him after the game, that’s him, this game is him, this is a reflection of all the time and effort he and his guys have put in. That’s what it comes down to, they’ve given us good football players to coach.”
Q: On the first touchdown to Travis Kelce.
REID: “He (Patrick Mahomes) has got three options on that side, and he’s got to let it sort out just a tick and he did that. He was very patient with it and obviously very accurate with the throw. It was a throw that he – not the same play – but it was a throw that he missed Trav (Kelce) on a little bit earlier, a corner route like that. He just fixed the problem and was spot on.”
Q: Is there any significance with the Tuskegee jacket that you’re wearing today?
REID: “First of all, my office is freezing so this is a good jacket to have on. Second, I’m a big fan of the Tuskegee Airmen. I’ve always liked that crew, the stuff that they did. Thanks for asking.”
Q: What is your rule on reaching out with the ball when you’re at the goal line?
REID: “I’m not real big on reaching out because I’ve been involved in too many of those things where the ball gets knocked out. Score, but keep control of the football and he (Mecole Hardman) knows that. Listen that play right there, he’s scored a number of touchdowns on, it’s not his first rodeo there with that play. He’s had so much success with it.”
Q: How much of your bond from training camp helped you play in an environment like Buffalo?
REID: “It’s really a great environment for the NFL and for their city. You’re playing – you’re not playing against the crowd, but they’re involved. They’re right on top of you there, probably very much like somebody coming into GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. I would tell you that yes, I believe in that. You go away to training camp, you can’t be on the cell phone all day and you’re around the guys all day. Guys talk, whether it’s at dinner time or wherever, they talk. They’re living in the same dorm and so on so there’s a bond that does get started there, it’s just how you grow it from that point. This group, I felt that in our game they’ve really done a nice job of growing together and supporting each other.”
Q: How much growth have you seen in the young secondary group compared to last year?
REID: “So last year they got better every game, just with the experience and throughout the off season, working. Throughout this season they’ve continued to get better and feel more comfortable challenging in man coverages and tightening up these zones and zone coverage. This will be – this coming week will be the biggest test of them all up to this point. They’ve got a great group of wide receivers, so I think our guys, once we get through the week here, they look forward to that challenge. They’ve done a nice job.”
Q: Are the principles of facing Bills QB Josh Allen and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson similar since they are both running quarterbacks?
REID: “I would tell you, it’s somewhat the same. You have to stay in your lanes, you have to stay disciplined with any quarterback that runs. (Ravens QB) Lamar (Jackson) is special, he’s fast and one of the faster guys on the field when it’s all said and done and he’s shifty. Where (Bills QB) Josh (Allen) will go right through you, he doesn’t care, he’s a big big man and probably equally as fast. He’s a fast kid, he’s run away from secondary players, you’ve seen that on tape. This kid, he throws it well, he throws it on the move well, runs the ball well so we’ve just got to stay on top of that part of it throughout practice this week and then during the game.”
Q: Did you see any videos of Jason Kelce at the game and did you see him after the game?
REID: “My wife saw him. She took pictures with him, I saw the pictures.”
Q: Did he have a shirt on in the pictures?
REID: “No shirt on. Listen, he’s the best, he’s a great kid, great father, that’s probably the thing I’m most proud of him for. He’s got a great wife and kids so he’s done a nice job with that.”